WW-P 9-12 Schools

Grades 9-12

The photograph is a picture of the pine tree leaves. Gymnosperm leaves are usually needle-like. Most gymnosperms, such as the pine tree, are usually evergreen, meaning that the leaves do not change color and fall.

Connective tissue is one type of tissue that makes up tendons, blood, cartilage, bone, adipose tissue and lymphatic tissue. The photograph shows a picture of a nose, which consists of cartilage, a type of flexible connective tissue. Collagen is the main protein of connective tissue.

Mushrooms, in the photograph, are fungi which are eukaryotic organisms. Eukaryotes include animals, plants, fungi, and protists. Eukaryotes have cells which have complex structures enclosed within membranes, such as a nucleus and other organelles. In eukaryotic cells, the DNA is stored inside the nucleus.

Lichens are composite organisms consisting of a symbiotic association of a fungus and a photosynthetic organism, a green alga or a cyanobacterium. The fungi and the photosynthetic organism share a mutual relationship. The fungi provide the photosynthetic organism with a suitable environment to grow. The alga provides the fungi with organic compounds and the cyanobacterium provides the fungi with organic nitrogen. In the photograph, the lichens are found on the trunks of trees.

A frond is a large leaf with many divisions. Palm leaves and ferns are usually considered to be fronds. In the photograph, the palm leaf has many small divisions.

An endotherm is an organism that produces heat by internal means. Therefore, endotherms are not dependent on the outside environment to maintain their body temperature, and are thus warm-blooded. Dogs are endothermic and do not depend on the environment to maintain body temperature.

In this photograph, different types of plants are growing in the same pot. There is little competition as most of these plants are growing very well. This is an example of altruistic behavior as the plants all share resources such as nutrients and water and thus help each other grow.

During the Calvin cycle, C₄ plants first produce a four carbon compound, oxaloacetate, using the enzyme PEP carboxylase. This gives the C₄ plants an advantage in hot, dry areas as PEP carboxylase has a higher affinity for CO₂ and no affinity for O₂. The step preceding the Calvin cycle occurs in the mesophyll cells while the Calvin cycle occurs in the bundle-sheath cells. Corn is an example of a C₄ plant.

Ethylene is a plant hormone that is produced: in response to mechanical stress, programmed cell death, leaf abscission, and fruit ripening. In this photograph, the effect of ethylene production is seen with the banana ripening.  Ethylene production triggers the ripening process. Ripening, in turn, triggers even more ethylene production, causing the fruit to ripen further.